The Shining Star Above The Heaven

When Zander teleported out from the secret realm, the sky had already turned dark. However, the festive spirit of the spectators remained high as they had just witnessed an entertaining spectacle. Zander took a deep breath, and a moment later, a staff member came to him to retrieve his bracelet. After that, he moved further away to take a rest.

Although it lasted only two hours, he felt quite tired because of the intense fights inside the secret realm. The battles against some of the beasts were what truly drained him compared to when he faced an ambush from other participants. He had only a little time to replenish his energy before he had to search for the crystals.

The others looked at him with various expressions. Many showed admiration, some envy, and others even hatred. However, he ignored them and sat quietly farther away from the portal. The other participants also seemed to maintain their distance from him.

He decided to meditate to replenish his energy while also waiting for the announcement from Orlav.

After waiting for less than a minute, Orlav finally made an announcement.

"Alright, I will announce the result of the Earl category. The participants that passed are fewer than twenty. To be exact, only eighteen participants passed. Now, for the ranking of points from the lowest to the highest. In eighteenth place is Wilhem Droze with three hundred forty points, in seventeenth…" Orlav continued announcing the ranks until finally reaching the top two.

"For second place." Orlav glanced at Kang Yongjin and Zander for a moment before continuing. "The second place is Kang Yongjin with one thousand one hundred fifty points. And lastly, the first place is Mister Z with one thousand two hundred points." Orlav then rolled up the scroll.

"Congratulations to all of the participants who passed to the next stage, which will be held tomorrow. Remember, do not be late for tomorrow's event, or you will be disqualified," he added.

"Wow, the competition is quite tight, with first and second place having only a small gap in their points," one of the spectators commented.

"Well, they are truly strong and dared to challenge the powerful beasts guarding the yellow crystals nearby," another answered.

Zander smiled as he secured first place in this phase. Still, the most important event was tomorrow, when he might finally have the chance to meet Kang Yongjin.

The tournament then continued to the last category. Although the sky outside was already dark, the world inside the secret realm remained bright, with sunlight illuminating the entire realm. The contrast truly made the secret realm and the outside world seem like separate worlds with different suns.

The Marquess stage was no less tense compared to the Earl stage. In fact, it was much more chaotic and intense. With their stronger cultivation and greater experience, their battles were far more devastating yet also more balanced. There were no overpowered figures in the Marquess stage like Zander or Kang Yongjin.

All of them were equally powerful, and their clashes became the most entertaining when the time was nearly up. It was also clear that these cultivators were not using their full strength. Everyone knew that the participants were saving their true power for tomorrow's event.

After two hours passed and the Marquess stage challenge came to an end, thirty-two participants had passed. Once Orlav finished announcing the names of those who advanced, the first day of the tournament finally came to a close. Tomorrow would be far more interesting and intense, with battles in a one-on-one format.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, that's it for today's tournament. We hope you will return tomorrow to watch the battles of the talents who have made it this far. I'm sure you must be as excited as I am, since I also can't wait to see the true abilities of these talents," Orlav said with excitement.

"I, Orlav, on behalf of all the officials of the tournament, thank you for your enthusiasm and cooperation. See you tomorrow!"

After that, many spectators and participants began leaving the stadium.

Aldrian and his family also left the stadium, intending to stay in the city for the night. A residence had been specially reserved for them whenever they chose to remain in the city, located in the exclusive district where a manor was prepared for his imperial household.

Although Aldrian could have simply slept in the stadium, since they provided the facilities there, he thought it would be better to stay in the special residence designated for him and his family in the city. Moreover, they could also take a closer look at the newly built city during the journey from the stadium to the special manor.

Aldrian and his family rode in a carriage, escorted by a convoy of troops as they left the stadium.

"Today was quite exciting and intense. Tomorrow will be even more festive, as it is the last day of the tournament and the format everyone has been waiting for," Irene commented.

"For the first edition, this tournament has been both exciting and truly intense. Unfortunately, it only lasts for two days. Still, with rewards of this level, the participants will give their best to win, which makes the competition all the more intense," Aldrey said.

"Well, this is just the first edition. We can develop it further in the next one and make it much more exciting, with greater challenges and a longer duration. This first tournament could be seen as a testing ground for future events," Aldrian said with a smile.

Fortunately, there had been no problems today, and the tournament proceeded according to their initial plans and expectations. From the experience gained here, they could make the next tournament even more colorful and on a grander scale.

As Aldrian and his family continued their journey to the special manor, he suddenly received an incoming voice transmission.

"Master, my apologies for disturbing you, but I have something to discuss. Could I meet you? I am also in this city with some of my men," the voice belonged to Vars.

Aldrian raised his eyebrows, wondering what Vars wanted to discuss that required meeting in person. He spread his domain sense, scanning the entire city for Vars, and after a few moments, he finally located him. Yet, during his sweep, he also noticed a few people who caught his interest.

Still, he set that aside for now. What Vars wanted came first.

"Look for a private place and wait for me there. I will come to you once you've found one," Aldrian ordered.

At this moment, Vars was still blending into the bustling streets, accompanied by some of his men nearby.

"Yes, Master," Vars replied before cutting off the connection.

No one around Aldrian realized he had just communicated with Vars, since he displayed no outward sign and the exchange was swift.

More than fifteen minutes later, Vars's voice returned.

"Master, I've reserved a private room at the Veryon Teahouse, in the room—"

"I already know where you are. Wait there," Aldrian interrupted before Vars could finish.

The sudden reply left Vars stunned.

A few minutes later, Aldrian finally arrived at the special manor prepared for the imperial family in this city. The manor was truly vast, located in a secluded part of the city. Besides the reason of security, its placement also ensured a serene atmosphere, allowing Aldrian and his family to feel comfortable during their stay.

After Aldrian stepped down from the carriage, he and his family were instantly greeted by the head butler of the manor and a line of maids.

"To the brightest star and eternal light, we greet Your Majesty and all the members of the imperial family," the head butler, a middle-aged man with a moustache, said as he knelt, with the maids following his example.

Aldrian gave a slight nod. "At ease," he said, prompting the head butler to rise, though he bowed again respectfully to Aldrian.

"Once again, welcome, Your Majesty. I am Ilsak Tyron, the head butler of this manor, ready to serve Your Majesty and the imperial family to the best of my ability," the butler said before straightening his posture.

Aldrian smiled faintly. "Alright, Butler Ilsak. I would like you to attend to my family first and show them their rooms. As for me, I have somewhere to go. I will return later."

At those words, the others raised their eyebrows, while Butler Ilsak stunned for a moment. Still, he lowered his head slightly and replied, "As you command, Your Majesty."

Aldrian nodded and looked at the others with a smile. "You can rest first. I'll return later after I finish my business."

The others wondered where Aldrian intended to go, especially Sylphia and Baek Jimin. However, they chose not to cling to him for now. They knew he would tell them later, so they only nodded.

"Mhm, be careful, dear," Sylphia said. Although she did not know where he was going, it was her way of showing concern.

Aldrian simply smiled, nodded, and then suddenly disappeared.

---------------------------

Inside a private room of one of the city's luxurious teahouses, Vars was already waiting with drinks on the table. His expression was anxious, and his body seemed restless.

As he continued waiting for Aldrian, he nearly jumped out of his seat when Aldrian suddenly appeared beside the table, and taking the vacant seat across from him.

Shaken by the sudden arrival, Vars quickly stood up and bowed.

"Master!"